Relief Society Lesson -- Come, Join with Us

This was my lesson given January 2014.  I delayed posting it until now.  So as not to interrupt my mission memories :-)


Come, Join with Us

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Second Counselor, First Presidency

October 2013 General Conference

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the fastest growing churches in the world.

The Church has more than 15 million members around the world.

There are many reasons for this, but may I offer a few?

1. This Church was restored in our day by Jesus Christ Himself.

Here you will find the authority to act in His name—to baptize for the remission of sins, to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost and to seal on earth and in heaven.

2. The Church provides opportunities for doing good.

Believing in God is commendable, but most people want to do more than listen to inspirational sermons or dream of their mansions above. They want to put their faith into practice. They want to roll up their sleeves and become engaged in this great cause.

3. Walking the path of discipleship leads to precious blessings.

We see baptism as the starting point in our journey of discipleship. Our daily walk with Jesus Christ leads to peace and purpose in this life and profound joy and eternal salvation in the world to come.

The search for truth has led millions of people to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

However, there are some who leave the Church they once loved.

Sometimes we assume it is because they have been offended or lazy or sinful. Actually, it is not that simple. In fact, there is not just one reason that applies to the variety of situations.

Some struggle with unanswered questions about things that have been done or said in the past.

Sometimes questions arise because we simply don’t have all the information and we just need a bit more patience.

And, there have been times when members or leaders in the Church have simply made mistakes.

I suppose the Church would be perfect only if it were run by perfect beings. God is perfect, and His doctrine is pure. But He works through us—His imperfect children—and imperfect people make mistakes.

It is unfortunate that some have stumbled because of mistakes made by men.

But in spite of this, the eternal truth of the restored gospel found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not tarnished, diminished, or destroyed.

Come and add your talents, gifts, and energies to ours. We will all become better as a result.

Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.

If you could see into our hearts, you would probably find that you fit in better than you suppose. You might be surprised to find that we have yearnings and struggles and hopes similar to yours. Your background or upbringing might seem different from what you perceive in many Latter-day Saints, but that could be a blessing. …we need your unique talents and perspectives.

The Church is designed to nourish the imperfect, the struggling, and the exhausted.

None of us is quite as Christlike as we know we should be. But we earnestly desire to overcome our faults and the tendency to sin.

With our heart and soul we yearn to become better with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

If these are your desires, then regardless of your circumstances, your personal history, or the strength of your testimony, there is room for you in this Church. Come, join with us!

In spite of our human imperfections, I am confident that you will find among the members of this Church many of the finest souls this world has to offer. The Church of  Jesus Christ seems to attract the kind and the caring, the honest and the industrious.

If you expect to find perfect people here, you will be disappointed. But if you seek the pure doctrine of Christ, the word of God “which healeth the wounded soul,” and the sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost, then here you will find them.

If you seek truth, meaning, and a way to transform faith into action; if you are looking for a place of belonging: Come, join with us!

If you have left the faith you once embraced: Come back again. Join with us!

If you are tempted to give up: Stay yet a little longer. There is room for you here. Come,  

join with us.